Life as ArT

Easter Special is April 7th!

Hurry! Book your session today for our annual Easter Special!  Too cute!

Lizzie is Three!

Today is my youngest granddaughter's 3rd birthday.  Here's the cellphone image her mother posted this morning of Lizzie with big sis, Evie, and big brother, Max.  How absolutely adorable they are!

 
Lizzie is a funny, smart, pixie of a girl.  She loves to show off but can be bashful when she first meets a stanger.  Lizzie sings all the time and, a puzzle genious, can put together a puzzle at speeds to rival any adult. I know, I admit it - I'm an obnoxious grandmother, but I don't care.  While anticipating Lizzie's party this evening, I remember the day she was born and, well, you know - it's just amazing, a true miracle.  Read my post about Lizzie's first day.  Happy 3rd Birthday, Lizzie!

Max

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child.  There are seven million.  ~Walt Streightiff

Images of Special Little People

I just have to share this newborn image with you.  This is my brand new granddaughter at 6 days old.  Elizabeth Ann "Lizzie" was born on September 30th and is doing very well. 

 

Lizzie has a big sister and brother - Evie and Max are so excited to have a new baby sister.  Here's an image from Evie's age 5 session and Max's age 3 session.  I told them to look mad - this is their mad.  Ha!

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth Ann!

She’s here!  On Tuesday, September 30^th at 4:31 a.m., grandkid #5 arrived.

Here’s the story:

In the studio last Monday night, I was bemoaning the fact that I had a terrible cold.  It was 3 days past my daughter Amanda’s due date and I needed to get home and get some rest.  She could go into labor at any time.  A little sleep would help.  Why did I have to be sick today?

Home, in my pjs in the recliner, I was half expecting the phone to ring – after all, earlier that evening, Amanda had said “not much” to the question I had asked 2 or 3 times a day for the past several days – “Anything happening yet?”  “Not much” meant something, but she didn’t want me to get too excited just yet.  She had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions for a couple months, so I’m sure she thought I would assume it was all the same - but I suspected.  About 10:00 p.m. the phone rang.  I answered before the second ring.  She was in labor.

I woke Grandpa and we dressed and packed quickly and drove to Amanda’s, a 25 minute trip.  Soon after arrival, our two-car caravan, expectant parents in the lead car, me following in my Jeep, was speeding through a darkened town toward the hospital leaving Grandpa behind with 5-year-old big sister and 3-year-old big brother (we secretly hoped to get stopped for speeding just so we could get a police escort to the hospital - ha!).

Amanda was quickly settled into a room on the Labor and Delivery floor.  A bustle of activity surrounded her – friendly, competent nurses hooking up monitors, doing paperwork, preparing the baby warmer and many other things we weren’t aware of.  The labor pains intensified until at some point – epidural (thank God for epidurals).  With Amanda more comfortable, we watched the monitor with each contraction – strong baby heartbeats, strong contractions. 

I finally got the nerve to ask the nurse, “Should I even be in here with this cold?”  I feared she would immediately boot me from the room and selfishly hoped she wouldn’t.  It was decided I could stay if, once the baby was there, I wore a mask.  Yea!

Around 3:30 in the morning, Amanda was nearing completion of labor – and so was another woman there in L&D – with only one doctor present.  So, the on-call doctor was summoned and soon arrived in Amanda’s room – and we won the doctor lottery! - he was wonderful! - smiling and happy and celebrating right along with us.  He even laughed at my son-in-law’s jokes.

Pushing began.  I must say, Amanda makes giving birth look easy (thank God!). Even the doctor said he wished all his births could be this easy.  Soon, we could see the head; and then, suddenly – she was here!  “IT’S A GIRL!” we all said in unison.  Arms and legs flailing at her new-found freedom, Elizabeth Ann had arrived.  (I confess, I had hoped it was a girl.) Her daddy, a veteran of all this, cut the umbilical cord and Lizzie began her life in the world.  Happy Birthday, Lizzie!  All 8 lbs 2 oz and 19 inches of beautiful pink perfection! 

 

Amanda and Lizzie saying hello:

 

Daddy checking out his youngest:

   

My prayer for you, Lizzie - May you find peace and happiness, joy and adventure, kindness and love.  May you live a long and healthy life and learn to see beyond yourself with a generous and caring spirit. - Love, your grandmother

It's Our Anniversary!

Today is a special day for K. Weatherwax Photography - today marks our first anniversary in the new studio!  I opened K. Weatherwax Photography in my home on October 1st, 2004.  I moved the studio into town and opened the door for business on September 29th, 2007.  Happy Anniversary to us!  Here's the studio on opening day:

 

Cute, huh.  Since this is such a busy time of year, I'll be rolling anniversary specials into coming events.  Watch for news to come.

I'd like to thank all the wonderful people who have come to the studio over the years.  Thank you for trusting me with your portraits and allowing me to continue to do what I love!

For those of you who were wondering - still no new grandbaby.  We're 3 days past the due date and waiting ...

Gkid #5 Due Today

It is with great joy and fear that I come to this day.  I cannot wait to meet the little miracle that is soon to be born.  In stark contrast is the fear I have for my daughter's health and the new baby's safe delivery.  Oh, there's nothing wrong.  My daughter, Amanda, is having her third child.  Both previous deliveries seemed easy for her, and both babies were healthy.  I am just more aware than I need to be of what could go wrong since volunteering for the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation - see other references in this blog. 

But, I don't want to talk about NILMDTS today, it's just too sad.  I want to bannish all sad and scary thoughts while waiting for the birth of this little one.  My daughter and son-in-law will find out the gender of this child when it makes it's grand entrance.  They have picked a girl's name but are struggling with a boys.  I've offered many suggestions, including Mario, a character in a video game my grandkids play, and Diego, the cousin to the famous Dora cartoon character.  I think those were nixed.  Hmmm.  You know, it doesn't even matter what they name this baby.  He/she will be so cute and wonderful, they could name it George Bush and I would love the name - well, maybe not.  Ha!

Well, I really need to go home, it's after midnight, but before I go...  Just finished a senior boy's images.  He's going to LOVE them.  Can't show you his, but I can show one of Krysta's.  I just love the red shoes in this one:

   

Here's one of Krysta's favorites:

 

Pretty eyes!   We had a fun session, Krysta!  Now go tell Katie you are on the blog! <inside joke>

Well, I'd better get home and get some sleep.  I may need some rest if this baby comes today.  Oh, if you have a cool boy's name, leave a comment.  Could be the name they will use.

Baby Count Down

We are on the count down for grandkid #5.  My beautiful daughter is expecting her third child in a week.  Here's an image of her with grandkid #3 and grandkid #4.  The doctor said any day now.

 

The Season for Grandchildren

This is the season for grandchildren for me.  I am a proud, doting grandmother and all those things you hear about how great it is having grandkids – true.  It’s the season because I had all four of my grandchildren here in the area at the same time.  This occurs (happily) every summer.  But sadly, we said goodbye to 10 year old Taylor this weekend when he returned home to Texas.  Named James Taylor, after the famous singer, our Taylor is a funny, happy, sensitive 10-year-old with a big heart and ears to match.  We will miss him dearly.

It’s the season for grandchildren because I am getting to know the “other” grandchildren – the children of my son’s significant other.  Blessings come in all kinds of packages.

It’s the season for grandchildren because my daughter is expecting her third child in September.  She and my son-in-law have decided to be surprised with the gender of this child.  They have one of each already: a girl, Evelyn “Evie”, age almost 5, a smart, pretty, funny little princess, and a boy, Max, age almost 3, a rambunctious, center-of-attention, sword-fighting all-boy.  I am thrilled about the new baby and just enough concerned about my daughter and the baby’s health to not be considered a worry-wart.  Who is this mystery child?

It’s the season for grandchildren because my oldest granddaughter, Kaitlyn, has decided she wants to live in Indiana.  Beautiful, intelligent, complicated Kaitlyn is staying and we get to know her all over again.

Oh, it’s the season for grandchildren for Grandpa, too!